Arbylocke
by Arbiter08
Summary: [ON-HIATUS] Rueben, a fifteen year old child, is all but abandoned by his friends. They have all left to go on their own pokémon journeys. Rueben wants to follow but is too young. Regardless of the consequences, Rueben decides that it's time to go on his own in this exciting retell of a Leafgreen Nuzlocke.
1. Prologue

-= Rueben, Last Light, 1016 =-

I am alone. Alone in a world filled with other humans and creatures. Pokémon. This world of ours is a cruel one. That is a lesson I learned the hard way.

I am alone. Trapped in a cage only the gods and demons know where. Well, one demon in particular. The same demon who took my pokémon, after beating them senseless. Leaving me alone in here while he ran off with my broken and battered team. Ran off with my friends.

I am alone. Surrounded by metal and dark and emptiness. I don't remember when I last saw a human. The only sounds are the sounds of my own breath. My stomach stopped rumbling long ago. Gods I'm hungry. I haven't eaten since _he_ threw me in here. I don't even know if these words that I'm writing are legible. I can't see a thing. No food, no water, no light.

No hope.

I, am alone.

 _\- Excerpt from the personal journal of Rueben_


	2. Chapter I

-= Rueben, First Leaf, 1015 =-

Rocks hurt. A lot. Especially if you hit your head on them after stumbling around for a bit on the road.

"Come on Twerp, quit slowing us down. Don't you wanna see the gym battle?" My brother asked, completely ignoring the fact that he was the one who tripped me. I groaned and pushed myself off the ground. I must have bit my tongue when I hit the rock. Great.

"Which way to the gym?" I asked. After dealing with Gary's shenanigans for my entire life I've grown somewhat of an appetite for revenge. He pointed down the street. I limped my way towards the gym, feigning a sprained ankle from the fall. A frown crossed Gary's face, and I could see him grit his teeth at my slowness. He probably would have just abandoned me had Mom not grounded him the last time he did that.

"This way. Now come on! We need to there before Red does!"

Gary and Red have a... complicated relationship. Frenemies doesn't do it justice. They're more rivals that are forced to spend time with the other because there's no one else their age around. Except for me, of course, but I'm a year younger then them. They both treat that difference as if it were five years instead of one.

After a good five minutes of limping and muttered curses from Gary, we reached the gym. We both showed our ID cards to the man at the entrance, who then let us in. Gotta love all the free stuff us kids get nowadays. We shuffled through the small crowded seating area and found Red already waiting.

"About time you got here! It's about to start!" Red said. I could see a retort on Gary's lips, but it died as the lights focused on the arena. The field was a large floating rectangle in the middle of a large pool of water.

A teen girl walked on stage, a microphone in hand and pokéballs on a belt. I recognized her, how could I not? Misty was the gym leader of my home town after all. I looked over and spotted Gary eyeing her up. Of course he would, what else was I expecting?

"Today a challenger approaches seeking the badge of Cerulean City. As you know we don't simply hand these things away now, do we?" Misty said, her voice being amplified by the speakers set up behind the stands.

A resounding "NO" echoed through the gym.

"What do we do to those who seek to prove their worth here? What do we make them do?"

"BATTLE!"

"Ladies and Gentlemon, please allow me to introduce our challenger, Green of Pallet Town!"

I blinked in surprise as Green stepped onto the stage. She had a single pokéball at her belt. I knew that she had recently became old enough to get her first pokémon, but I had no clue that she was already facing off gym leaders!

"Challenger Green only has one pokémon, so I shall be using one pokémon as well."

Red leaned over to me. "Say Rueben, did you hear about how Green caught her first pokémon?" Red asked. I shook my head in response. "Professor Oak offered her a starter, but she declined it. Saying she'd catch her own. Oak tried to convince her that it was too dangerous, but she persisted. She walked into Viridian Forest with nothing but a few pokéballs and a can of repel. Days later she came out with her starter."

"Let's go Starmie, show them what your worth!" Misty shouted as the threw her pokéball. A flash of red light, and then a ten-pointed star with a red gem at the center stood where the pokéball was moments ago. Green simply smiled.

"He's all yours Logan, take him down!" Green shouted as she threw her pokéball. Another flash of red and a yellow mouse stood on the stage.

"She caught a Pikachu? Those things are so rare!" Gary exclaimed. A chorus of hushes answered him as the Starmie dove into the water.

"Starmie, use swift!"

"Logan, use thunder wave!"

The pokémon sprang into action. Small projectiles shot out of the water near Misty and dashed towards Logan, who brushed aside most of them. Logan's tail pulsed with electricity. A quick spin and it was sent into the water. If there was an effect on Starmie it didn't show.

"Now Logan, thundershock!"

"Starmie, water pulse!"

Once again the pokémon obeyed without question. While Logan charged up his attack jumped out of the water. As Logan let the lightning fly Starmie shot out a ring of water towards Logan. The lightning was absorbed into the ring, which smacked into Logan. Whilst Logan was dazed Starmie shot another pulse at him, which knocked him into the water. Starmie floated over and rested above the stage.

"Do you yield challenger?" Misty asked.

"Not in a million years!" Green shouted back. "Logan, use quick attack!"

Logan dashed out of the water and struck Starmie in it's center eye. Starmie fell backwards. A flash of red light and it was gone. The crowd started to cheer wildly. After it died down Misty spoke.

"Well done Challenger Green! For your valiant efforts I present to you the Cascade Badge!" Misty handed Green a small blue badge. She then turned towards us. "Thank you all for coming! Hope you enjoyed the show!" The crowd started to file out around us. Gary and Red walked off, leaving me alone. Green looked up into the stands and waved to me. I waved back, then pointed towards the door. She gave me a thumbs up, and we both left the way we came. I waited outside the main entrance. After a wait of a few minutes Green peeked around the corner and motioned me over. I walked over. As soon as I turned the corner she swept me up into a big hug.

Green was the oldest of us four, and had turned 16 a few months ago. Even though we were all pretty close those months made all the difference. She was about half a year older then I was, yet she treated me like I was her younger brother; more or less ignoring the fact that Red was her actual younger brother. In all the ways Gary mistreated me Green more then made up for it.

"Hey Sis, saw you battling today. You were pretty awesome!" I said after returning the hug. Even though we weren't siblings we usually referred to as such. We parted from the hug and Green brought out a pokéball. She pressed a button and the pokémon she used earlier popped out. It shook it's ears and looked up at me curiously.

"It was all thanks to this guy that I was able to win. You did a great job today Logan!"

"Pika pika!" Logan said in response. As it was responding I thought I heard something else, a whisper of some kind. I looked around but didn't see anyone. I know Green didn't do it either.

Green asked "What're you looking for?"

"I thought I heard something." I responded.

"It was probably just a pokémon scurrying around in the brush. Don't worry, if it pops out we've got our little champion here to protect us." Green said as she ruffled Logan's hair.

"Say Sis, is it true that you went into Viridian Forest alone to catch your pikachu?" I asked.

Green shook her head. "Red told you that didn't he. He always did like to make up stories like that. I got him from Oak, just like you'll get your starter pokémon!"

That statement made me happy and sad at the same time. Happy because I really wanted my own pokémon. I _really_ wanted one. Sad because it reminded me that Gary and Red would be getting their pokémon and leaving soon. Gary had already turned 16, and Red would be turning 16 tommorow. My 16th birthday wouldn't be here for another 4 months. That'd be 4 months with nothing to do but dream of Red, Gary, and Green off on their adventures. I don't think I could last that long.

I hugged Green again. "How will I last without you guys? I'll have to wait such a long time before I get my pokémon..."

Green hugged me back. "I'm sure you'll manage. Maybe you'll be able to finish all those books your Mom has near the fireplace!"

I pushed away from her. "I don't want to sit and read. I want to go on an adventure! I want to travel the Kanto and see all there is to see!"

Green sighed. "I'm sorry, but there's no way around it. You're just gonna have to wait." Silence crept in. It wasn't awkward, but it wasn't comfortable either. Eventually Green recalled Logan back into his ball. "I miss you Rueben. Sure traveling the world is fun, but part of me just wants to be with you guys again." Green whispered. She then turned around and walked off.


	3. Chapter II

-= Rueben, First Leaf, 1015 =-

Cerulean City is my home, and has been for my entire life. I can't imagine life outside of it in the wilds. Everything out there seems so mysterious and wild. That's why I want to conquer it. I want to stand tall on top of Mt. Moon, look down on the wilderness, and know that I made it up there by the strength of my own to hands, and the cunning of my own brain. Well, the strength and cunning of myself and my pokémon that is. I don't want to do this alone. I want to have climbed that mountain and helped my pokémon up there with me. Maybe they can help me out on the way up a few times too.

 _\- Excerpt from the personal journal of Rueben_

I did not sleep well that night. Every time I fell asleep I was doomed to wake up in a cold sweat ten minutes later. If nightmares were the cause then I could not remember anything about them. After a seemingly endless amount of time the clock read 6:30am. I dragged myself out of bed. Today was the day that Red and Gary left. Professor Oak would be meeting them at the park shortly to give them their starter pokémon.

I pushed my pillows up against the wall and covered them with my blanket. From far away at least it looked like I was still sleeping. I picked up my backpack. It was filled to the brim with supplies. Did you think I did nothing but toss and turn last night? No, I came up with a plan. If it succeeds I'll be needing all the supplies I can get. I slowly crept downstairs, making certain that no one would hear me. I slowly walked into the kitchen and left a note in the freezer. Mom would find it, but not anytime soon. I crept towards the door. Mom was asleep on the couch covered up by a blanket. The TV had been left on. Right now it was on some news channel. A large moustached man in a suit was in the middle of a news story.

'Pokécenters around the nation have been the target of terrorism as of late, with their Healing Centers and PC Storage Systems being brutally torn apart, with no hope of salvaging the equipment. Even if all the parts could be salvaged then the machines would still need a replacement of a key part, the Gravranium core. All of the cores in the machines, the part that powers them and gives them their unique features, were stolen. It is unkown what the terrorists plan to do with the precious metal, but police are hard at work tracking the culprits down. Replacement machines will have to be ordered. Until then make certain to be safe with your pokémon. Experts suspect that if they faint in battle and go for an extended period without proper medical care the damage may very well be fatal.'

"What? Who would attack a pokécenter?" I thought. "All they do is help trainers out. Stealing from them is just plain wrong, especially if you open up the potential for pokémon to actually die!" The news station broadcast continued on.

'In other news, the CEO of Silph Co. has mysteriously vanished. Police have not determined whether or not foul play has taken place. No note was left, and we have heard no word of a ransom from the potential kidnappers. Silph Co. has all but shut down; leaving a vast shortage of pokéballs, revives, full restores and other supplies; including the replacement Healing Centers and PC Storage Systems so desperately needed.

In order to combat the growing demand for pokéballs, the government has established a temporary regulation to ensure that all have equal access to the limited amount of pokéballs remaining. The regulation reads as follows: All trainers may own no more then sixteen pokéballs of any kind at a single time. This includes the pokéballs carrying your party members. The six pokémon party limit shall continue to be enforced. All prospective new trainers after the First Leaf season shall be denied the opportunity to leave on their journey until the shortage has been dealt with.'

"...What? But I won't turn sixteen until Last Light four months from now. I won't be able to leave! But..." I stood there silent for a while, staring at the TV. I felt my fist curl up, seemingly of it's own accord. "No, I'm going to go, regardless of the consequences." My resolve was as strong as steel in this regard. Nothing would stop me.

I noticed the time in the bottom right hand corner of the TV. It read 6:58. "Oh no," I thought. "Everyone's going to be getting up soon! I need to get moving, quickly!" With that I rushed towards the door. I grabbed the handle with a shaky hand. "This is it. Once I leave there's no going back." I steeled myself and opened the door.

...Only to find my Mother standing on the other side, with her arms crossed and a stern look on her face.

"And where do you think you're going?" She asked.

"Uh... hi Mom! I was just..." Mom gave me a look that said 'I'll know if your lying.' I bit back the rest of my response. How had she known? And how did she sneak around me... I looked back at the couch. It looked very familiar... almost exactly like my bed when I hid a few pillows underneath my... oh.

Mom whipped a piece of paper out of her pocket. "Smart not to lie to me, especially when you've already told me the truth." I just stood there and stared at it. That was my note, that I left in the freezer a few minutes ago...

"How? Just how?" I asked, dumbfounded.

She gave a mischievous little smirk. "I can't be giving away all my secrets now, can I?" She then sighed and put her hand on my shoulder. "If you wanted to leave on your adventure early why didn't you just ask? I mean, what were you plan on doing after you left? Snag a starter from Oak while he was distracted giving them to Red and Gary?" I felt a twang of guilt at being read through so easily. That may or may not have been the plan.

Mom saw the look on my face and sighed again. "You really are your father's child aren't you?" Once again a single sentence filled me with opposing emotions. I shook it off. I'd finished grieving him a long time ago. Mom squeezed my shoulder. "Don't worry, he's watching over you. Wherever you go he'll always be by your side." I nodded. "Gary though, I doubt his father would even care." Mom spat on the floor. "I never did like Garret. The man was always drunk. Never even said hi to Gary. I'm glad I divorced him and met your father. Now, if you're gonna run away make sure to do it right. Come on, let's go check your pack."

Gary and I weren't actually full brothers. We had different fathers, but the same mother. I'm glad that I didn't come from the same father as he did. I can't imagine being full brothers with him. My father though, he died when I was young. Killed by a tsunami while out on a business trip in the Sevii Islands. I don't remember much, but what I do remember I cherish. Back to the conversation at hand though...

"You aren't gonna stop me?" I asked, dumbfounded yet again.

"Why would I do that?" She responded, almost nonchalantly. "All boys grow up sometime, you just grew up a bit quicker then the rest. There's no point in keeping you cooped up around here." I opened my mouth to respond, but the reply died on my tongue. Mom took my backpack and started laying out the supplies on the table.

"First off, most of your food will spoil before a week is out. You don't have any clothes packed for warmer or cooler weather, and you have no supplies for your pokémon. Come on, I thought I taught you better then this!" Mom walked upstairs and walked back down a few moments later with armfuls of supplies. She set it all down on the table. I just stared at it.

"Here, there's some food and a few potions. There's a few pokéballs in there as well. But be careful not to use those up too quickly. You heard about the new regulations, correct?" I nodded. "Good, you'll have to keep those in mind on your journey. Here's a bit of cash to resupply." She handed me a few pokédollars.

"But Mom, they don't let fifteen year olds buy things at the Pokémart! How am I gonna resupply?" I asked.

"Who said you were fifteen?" She responded, then whipped out a small card. It looked identical to an actual trainer card, except for the fact that my birth year was off by one. Which for all intents and purposes according to the government, made me 16 years old.

"How did you get that" I asked. "and have I ever told you how awesome you are?" That made her smile.

"Well, off you go!" She said, scooting me towards the door.

"Wait, but aren't you gonna get me a starter?" I asked. If she had helped me out this much surely she could convince Oak to give me a starter pokémon.

"You made a plan, did you not? Stick to it. Don't expect anyone assisting you to do all of the heavy lifting." She responded. Pretty soon we were out the door, with my backpack on my back. She gave me one last hug and then closed the door behind me. Leaving me alone... I _really_ hate being alone.

"There he is." I thought. "Professor Oak, where all trainers start their journey. But where are the starters?" Oak himself was napping on a bench, with no sign of a briefcase or anything to hold the starters. I scanned the area. Ah ha! The Professor's Jeep was parked over behind some bushes. "I'll certainly find what the starters in there!" I scrambled over to it as quickly and quietly as I could. The doors were locked, but I didn't see his briefcase inside so it didn't matter. I hopped into the back for an in-depth search. That was when I started to hear the voices.

"Can you believe that it's finally happening?! The day has come that we get chosen!" A very taut voice exclaimed.

A second voice, this one very thick with emotion, responded. "I know! It's so exciting! We finally get to meet our trainers!"

Wait a moment, " _trainers_?" I spotted a small tarp wrapped around a boxy item. The voices seemed to be coming from it. I crawled over and lifted the tarp. Ah ha! The briefcase was underneath the tarp! The satisfaction was only momentary though as I heard voices again.

"Did you hear that?" The first voice asked. "It's time Sauren! We're finally gonna get chosen!"

Extremely curious, I opened the briefcase. Inside 3 pokéballs lay. The two closest to me were translucent, and inside I could see a Squirtle and a Bulbasaur staring back at me.

"You're not Professor Oak..." the Squirtle said quietly.

"It's okay Felix!" the Bulbasaur, who I'm assuming is named Sauren, said excitedly. "I bet she's one of the trainers! Oak should be along shortly."

Once I got over the fact that these two pokémon in front of me were speaking English, I felt offended. "Hey, just because I've got longer hair doesn't mean that I'm a girl!" I nearly shouted. Both the pokémon shrank back in their balls.

"I don't like this trainer..." Sauren whispered timidly. "She just yelled at us."

"Sauren, it doesn't matter that he yelled at us. If he yelled then that means that he understood us!" Felix said excitedly.

Sauren gasped. "What's your name trainer? Who are you going to pick? You should pick me!"

"Woah woah, slow down. I haven't even met you all yet! Who's back there in that ball?" I asked as I pointed to the ball in the far back. The two pokémon grew quiet at that. Right as I was about to prompt them further I heard a voice. A much more familiar one.

"I'm so excited to finally get my pokémon! We can finally get started!" Red said.

"Heh heh, and Rueben doesn't get his pokémon for another four months, if they even find that rich guy that went missing. He's gonna be so upset about it!" Gary said, snickering. I really did hate Gary at times.

"Now now, we've still got to get to the lab to get you two registered. We'll choose your pokémon there." Oak said, slightly amused.

"But Gramps! I want to choose _now_!" Gary whined. The trio walked around the corner, and I could see Red nodding his head in excitement.

Oak sighed. "Fine, we can choose here. Might as well use the ride to get to know your starter." I shut the briefcase.

Uh oh. If I dove out of the car then they'd surely notice me. I need to hide... I quickly grabbed the tarp and curled up in a ball in the corner. It was by no means a good hiding place, but it was the best I had.

I peeked out of the tarp through a small tear. An old and wrinkled hand reached into the trunk. "I can't see a blasted thing in this trunk!" Oak said. He kept rummaging around. More then a few times he nearly scrapped the tarp. Until finally: "Where is my... ah! There it is!" Oak said as he pulled out the briefcase.

Oak had his back turned to me. "Now, inside here I have three pokémon. A fire, a water, and a grass type. Since Gary suggested we skip the waiting, we'll have Red go first." Oak said.

"Awwww, come on Gramps!" Gary complained.

"Red, take your pick."

Red walked over to the briefcase. He put his hand out and hovered in the middle of the three balls. Eventually, he went for the front left one.

"Does it have a name?" Red asked.

"Ah, the Squirtle. Wise choice. Yes, he does have a name, if I recall correctly. His name is Felix." Oak said.

" _Felix_ , come on out!" Red shouted. He threw the pokéball, and a bright red flash of light revealed a small light blue turtle.

"Hey, I got chosen! But what happened to that guy from earlier? I don't see him anywhere." Felix said. I hoped that the others didn't understand them.

My hopes proved correct as Gary moved for the pokéballs. "A water type eh? Well, I'll take the grass one!" He picked up Sauren's pokéball. "Go, _Shredder_!"

A bright red flash and a small four legged creature with a bulb on it's back stood.

"Uh, sorry to ruin the moment Gary, but he responds to Sauren." Oak interjected.

"He'll learn his new name soon enough. Now Shredder, attack that dinky little turtle!" Gary yelled.

Sauren looked up at Gary. "Are you referring to me? My name's Sauren..."

Gary leaned down and put his face right up next to the Bulbasaur's. "Shredder, I said. _Attack_." Gary said, gritting his teeth and pointing towards Felix. Sauren gulped and charged at Felix.

"I'm sorry Felix!" Sauren yelled as he tackled Felix from behind.

"Gary! With all of the Pokémon Centers damaged you need to be careful!" Oak stressed.

"Yeah yeah, they'll be fine. I've got a potion in my bag." Gary replied, annoyed at the constant interruptions.

"Felix, use _Tail Whip_!" Red shouted. A look of sorrow passed over Felix's face briefly, before he lunged at Sauren swinging his tail and hitting Sauren't head with it.

"Owww! That hurt!" Sauren cried.

"Sorry, but my trainer ordered it. Yours attacked first anyways!" Felix replied. Sauren scampered behind Gary's leg.

Gary shook his head. "I picked the wrong pokémon Gramps. Can I have the other one?"

"Sorry Gary, but you already chose. You can't take it back." Oak said. "Now hop in the Jeep. We've still got to get to the lab and register you two."

Gary and Red recalled their pokémon while Oak threw the briefcase in the trunk beside me. The two boys got in the backseats while Oak went up front and started up the car. The car thrummed and then lurched forward. We were off to Pallet Town.


	4. Chapter III

-= Rueben, First Leaf, 1015 =-

The engine groaned to a stop. After an hour long bumpy ride stuffed in the trunk in pitch black I finally had a bit of reprieve. I pushed on the trunk. It opened up a crack and I peered out. I spotted a few men walking up a staircase, Professor Oak among them. They were heading up towards a large marble building. I slipped out of the trunk and dashed behind a large sign that read "Pewter City Museum".

You know the old saying about curiosity? Curiosity killed the Persian? Well, I've always wondered if it actually did. I was curious if it would eventually get me killed too. Well, on my quest to discover just how deadly curiosity is, I've seen lots of things I haven't supposed to. Including what was going on right now.

Professor Oak smacked into the ground. "I'm not gonna ask again. Where's the pokémon you promised us?" A big, burly man rumbled. His face was hidden from view by a large hooded jacket. He had his left hand in the pocket of his jeans, and the right curled up in a fist. "The Rock don't like his clients not paying up when their debt's due."

"Please, I don't know what happened to it! It was in my briefcase earlier today!" Oak begged. The bulky man's leg shot forward and kicked Oak in the stomach. I winced. The Professor curled up into a ball. "I swear, I don't know where it is! Please, I can get you another one!"

Oh... wait a moment... that thug is looking for a pokémon from Oak. One that was in his briefcase... Suddenly the small ball on my belt felt a lot heavier then before.

The burly man turned around. I ducked behind a giant Aerodactyl fossil, and slowly peered around to get a look. The thug had a fat, pudgy face. He was bald too. Then, he spoke. "We both know that I can't do that Mr. Professor. If you don't have the pokemon then I guess the Kanto region's gonna have to find themselves a new professor."

"Please don't! I have a Grandson in the car. I can't just leave him alone like this!" Oak begged.

The thug smiled mischieviously, then turned around. "Don't worry, I'm certain that they'll be looked after. Who knows? They might find that they enjoy working for Team Rocket." My heart froze when I heard those two words. Team Rocket. The vast criminal syndicate that runs the Kanto's underworld. Everything from pokemon smuggling, to death battles, to bombing the houses of political rivals; Team Rocket has it's fingers in everything and anything illegal. It made what I was about to do seem even stupider.

"Have you heard Mr. Professor? They've got a brand new space exhibit upstairs. I heard that you can even fly out the window with one of the model jetpacks they have up there. Hey boys! Why don't you take the Professor up there and test that out."

"No please, you can't do this!"

"Shut him up! I hate the screamers."

Two men in nearly identical outfits started beating the Professor savagely. They made a dull thudding sound as they kicked against his chest. Oak must have lost consciousness early, because he wasn't screaming. I know I would be. Finally, I worked up the courage to step out from around the display.

"Hey! Stop right there!" I shouted. All of the thugs froze and looked at me.

The burly man spoke out. "Oh no, it's a cop! Quick, let's get outta he- wait, you're shivering."

I cursed the chilly nighttime temperature under my breath. That's all it was, I swear. I wasn't scared or anything... or maybe just a little bit. Okay fine, I'm surprised that they didn't hear the fossil display shaking as I cowered in fear behind it.

"You're no cop, you're just a kid! What's the matter? Ya get lost? 'Cause you better soon or else you're gonna regret it." The burly thug rumbled.

With how much my teeth were chattering I doubt I could say anything coherent, so I just grabbed the ball on my waist. Some kind of heat emanated from the pokeball. It felt wild, uncontrollable, ready to burst out and burn down a forest. I could feel it beckoning me, it wanted me to release it. I looked over and saw Oak on the ground with those thugs standing in front of them. I felt angry. Who are these petty thieves trying to come in here and rob my step-grandfather? Anything that came out of tonight they would deserve, and I would deliver it with no regrets.

I clicked the release on the pokeball. A small orange lizard appeared at my feet. It's tail had a small fire burning on the end of it. It's eyes though, I had never seen anything like them before. When it saw Oak on the ground a fire lit behind it's eyes. Literally. Where moments ago there was a small green pupil now a white hot ring burned. Even though I knew he wouldn't attack me, I still felt a pang of fear at just what this lizard might be capable of, especially if he decided that he didn't like me. The thugs noticed it too. They started to slowly back off.

"Charmander," It looked over it's shoulder at me. I suppressed the urge to run away, flailing my arms and crying for my mom. I took a deep breath and looked up. "Get them." It smiled at me. Suddenly I started to sweat, even more then before I mean. The heat seemed to be coming from the Charmander. The fire on it's tail started burning white hot. I slowly backed up. The thing turned it's head around and started to walk towards the thugs.

The three thugs turned around and ran. The burly one reached the door last, after the other two blocked it from the outside. The man started beating on the doors, begging to be let out and not to be left to die in here. When the Charmander was only a few feet away the man turned around. He jumped and tried to push himself into the corner, as far away from the inferno as he could. The Charmander stopped in front of him. He raised a claw, and brought it down. Hard.

The man's scream of pain echoed through the museum. Horrified, I surveyed the damage. The man had three gashes in his cheek just below the eye. Where they pierced the flesh was seared to the bone. He was rolling on the floor with his hands on his face weeping. The Charmander raised his bloodied claw a second time.

"S-stop." I said weakly. The Charmander halted his claw mid-air and turned towards me. I quivered as I spoke. "H-he's had enough. H-he won't b-be bothering Oak any t-time soon..." I hoped it wouldn't incinerate me. The Charmander turned around towards the thug. I could see him thinking. Then, he spun around and started marching back over to me. Halfway though his eyes turned back from the white rings to green pupils for a split second, before he collapsed on the floor.

I recalled it into the pokeball. What did I just witness? Why is this a _starter_ pokemon? Why is it even safe for battling? My train of thought was interrupted by police sirens heading this way. I doubted my trainer card would pass their database check, so staying wasn't an option. That means that I've got to get out of here.

Turns out that the Kanto Police, one of the most well trained police forces, forgot that there's a back door, and that people might flee through it. As I stepped out into the night a thought struck me. What was I supposed to do now? I had always wanted to go on my own journey, but now that I was on it I didn't know what I wanted to do! I climbed up a small tree. Just another question to ponder in the morning. For now though, I needed to rest. In the morning I would deal with everything.

The night was chillier then I expected. The extra clothes did next to nothing against the piercing wind. I tried to ignore it, but there was always the sensation that someone was watching when I did. Eventually, I decided that I'd rather not spend the night alone. I dropped to the ground, making enough noise to wake a Snorlax on the way. I hit the ground with a thud. I stood up, and then grabbed the pokéball again. This time though, there was no anger in the fire. It felt calming, like the fireplace back at home. Yet again I could feel it beckoning to be let out. Once more, I gladly obliged.

The Charmander appeared at my feet in a flash of red light.

"Hey." I said, then gave it a small wave.

"Hey yourself." He responded. "Got a name?"

"Rueben."

"Jorg."

We sat there for a while, eyeing the other up. He seemed nothing like what I'd seen inside. No hint of rage or anything. He just seemed quiet, shy almost.

"So..." I started. Jorg sighed. I think he knew what I was gonna ask. I asked anyways. "What happened inside there?"

Jorg fidgeted with a rock on the ground. "Great first impression, huh? What better way to introduce myself to my new trainer then to nearly burn down a building."

We fell into a silence after that. Jorg seemed unwilling to explain exactly what happened in there, and I didn't want to push. Surprisingly, it was Jorg who broke the silence.

"So... why are we here? Aren't new trainers supposed to start in Pallet Town?" He asked.

Now it was my turn to awkwardly avoid the question. "Ummm... well, Oak got into trouble. We kinda got stopped on the way there. He's being taken care of at this moment." I answered, avoiding the fact that I had stolen him without Oak knowing.

"Oh..."

Sometime later, I fell asleep. For the first time in a while, I slept soundly that night.


	5. Chapter IV

-= Green, First Leaf, 1015 =-

"So, what do you think we'll need Logan?" I asked, staring up at the tall building ahead of me. "I'm pretty sure that we can find whatever we'll need here, I've heard that the Celadon Department Store has nearly everything you could want!"

"Pika pik!" Logan responded.

"Great idea! I'll grab us some Super Potions for when we face down Erika! I'll also be getting a few other things while we're here."

"Ooh, look at this Logan!" I said, holding up a small plushie. Logan looked at it curiously. "It's a Pokédoll. Apparently it can distract wild pokémon so that the trainer can run away from a tough battle. But I have another idea for it..."

"Pik chu!" Logan yipped cheerfully. He then tugged at my skirt a bit.

"What is it Logan?" I asked, and let him lead me. He pulled me over to a display case. Inside lay a few pokéballs with grey and yellow coloring. "Ultra Balls? Nice find! They'll be perfect!" I snagged a few and put them in my bag. Looking over to the right, I saw a shelf full of Max Repel. I grabbed a few canisters.

My bag had doubled in weight by the time that I got to the counter to pay for it all. I flashed my trainer ID, then handed over all the cash necessary. It left a big hole in my funds, but if my plan was successful it would be sooooooo worth it. When I was younger I always dreamed of assembling a team of friendly pokémon and helping others where I can. Yeah, well... it's not going so well. I've helped out lots of people, don't get me wrong! The only problem is, it's just been Logan and I helping them out. You see, I'm probably the unluckiest trainer ever. I've never caught my own pokémon. It's just been Logan and I this entire time.

Pewter gym was insanely difficult, but I got kinda lucky there. I beat it before all of the pokécenters were busted up, so I had lots of chances. Although that wasn't the only reason I won. Right before my last attempt a delivery truck sped through Pewter, took a turn too sharply, and lost a crate. I recall briefly seeing the company name on the side. It was something like Super-Sonic Moving Co. It had a picture of some kind of rocketship on the side. The truck sped off before the driver even knew what had happened. I checked out the crate. Inside there was a few things, all of which were a godsend.

First off, inside was a TM Case. It only had a few TMs inside, and only one of them I could actually teach Logan, but ooh boy, it helped. Turns out Brick Break is not only effective against bricks, but it's super effective against rocks as well!

Next on the list was a bunch of stimulants. I had so many X-Attacks that I had to leave some in the crate to even have room in my bag.

Lastly, I found this really strange orb. It glowed a bright yellow. Logan did not want to let it out of his sight, and even tried digging in my bag a few times to find it. I was worried about him, so I kept it hidden from him for a while. After a while he calmed down.

Later that night I used one of the Global Terminals to do a quick search on Super-Sonic Moving Co. I didn't find a single thing about them. It's like they never even existed! From there I tried to find the logo. On this try I did find results, but it wasn't what I was expecting. Turns out that the Rocket Game Corner in Celadon City used the same logo. I decided that when I got there I'd bring the orb back to the Game Corner. It seemed important. However, something shook up that plan a bit. Logan found the orb.

He seemed extremely excited when he grabbed it. I tried to snatch it back but Logan shocked me every time! He just stared at it for a while, then he did something really interesting. Logan placed the orb on his chest, where it was absorbed! I just stood there for a while because I didn't know what to do, or what that orb would do. Eventually, I reached towards Logan. He shocked me again, but this time it was almost twice as strong as before! It knocked us both out. When we had woken up Logan's cheeks had turned blue instead of red! That wasn't the weirdest thing though. It was at this point that I had started to understand him.

We blazed through Pewter Gym after all of that. Brock was dumbfounded at how strong Logan had grown. He stared at the blue pockets on his cheeks. He gave us the Boulderbadge and a TM. When I put it in the TM Case he asked about it. He said that they don't make that kind of TM Case anymore, and was wondering where I had gotten it. I told him about the truck. When I mentioned the rocket logo on the side he got this look in his eye. It's like all the niceness just slipped away as easily as if he had taken off a mask. After that I made my way here, to Celadon City. I stopped in Cerulean on the way too. Back to the matter at hand though...

"Here it comes!" I whispered. Logan and I stilled ourselves. We had both sprayed on a can of repel, much to Logan's displeasure. Strangely enough he was still able to see me. Unlike the Growlithe right in front of us. The very same one that was being distracted by the Pokédoll we had put down in front of it.

"Logan, use Thunder Wave." I whispered. Logan was ready before I even finished. His tail pulsed with energy. He shot up out of the brush spinning, and sent a bolt of energy at the Growlithe before he even had time to react. It fell to the ground twitching.

"Yes! Nice job Logan!" I shouted.

"Chu!"

I fished an Ultra Ball out of my bag. I didn't have many of these, and they were pretty expensive, so I had to make each one count. I tossed the first one at the Growlithe. It sailed through the air before landing next to the pokémon. The Growlithe disappeared in a flash of light.

The ball shook once. It wasn't giving up without a fight.

The ball shook twice. The tension in the air was palpable. Was this finally going to be my first catch?

The ball shook a third time. This is it! Now is the deciding moment. Do I catch it, or does it get away? Do I finally get a second pokémon? Even Logan seemed excited now!

Then the ball shattered into a thousand glistening fragments.

The Growlithe reappeared where the ball was a moment before, angrier then I'd seen a wild pokémon ever be before. It roared at us. It was so loud that Logan and I had to cover our ears or risk going deaf. The Growlithe dove into the grass, never to be seen again.

"I thought we'd get this one for sure." I muttered

"Pika pik" Logan replied drearily.

"Well, there's no point in staying here anymore. Let's head back to Celadon."

"Chu..."

Once I got back to Celadon I got an idea. Well, more like an idea was handed to me. Well... less handed more thrown.

"Give me that Porygon!" I heard a man shout while walking past the Rocket Game Corner's prize building.

"But sir, you don't have enough coins for it!" I heard a woman respond.

"Screw you and your coins!" The man shouted. The window nearest me shattered. A case of some kind flew through the window and landed right next to my feet. Some kind of coin spilled out. Shortly after, I saw the man dragged out by some burly guys. They threw him on the street right next to the case. The man got up and grumbled about some rip-off slots.

"That's it, I'm done with those cheapskates. Hey kid!" He shouted at me. "Want my Coin Case? It's got a hundred free coins in it!"

"Uhhhmmmm... No thanks, I don't gambl-" I said, right as he shoved it into my arms.

"Thanks kid! Enjoy dealing with those arseholes back there!" He said, turning and shouting the last part at the building before walking off.

"Gambling huh?" I contemplated, weighing the Coin Case in my hands. "What could possibly go wrong?"


	6. Chapter V

-= Green, First Leaf, 1015 =-

'Riots have erupted around the Silph Co. Factory in Saffron City. Reports show that the horde consists of at least a thousand people and pokemon. They are resorting to violent methods to gain access to the factory, which rumors state is where the government is storing the remaining pokéballs. The pokemon are not resorting to extreme methods just yet, with the most severe moves used being screeches and growls, but the government is worried.

\- _Channel 7 "Pokenews" broadcast_

"No, no no no no NO! How could you do this to me?!" I shouted.

"Excuse me ma'am, but you need to calm down." A woman said in a nasally voice. She had this look on her face that said 'Not this again...'.

"No, you need to calm down!" I shouted, pointing at the woman. "Do you know how unlucky I've been? I have never once caught a single pokemon. Then I come here and discover that you can win pokemon if you have enough coins. Then your RIGGED SLOT MACHINES take all of my coins!"

The woman sighed "Do I need to call security ma'am?" She said as she leaned on her side of the counter.

"That's it!" I yelled as I dug in my bag for Logan's ball. "I challenge you to a battle! If I win then I get a pokémon!"

"Security, we've got another crazy in here." The woman murmured drearily. Two burly men came out of a backroom and picked me up by the shoulder.

"You wanna fight me? I'll take you all on!" I shouted defiantly, flailing my legs around trying to kick one of them. My foot hit something soft, and I heard one of the men squeal a little. They then roughly threw me out the already broken window. I landed on the ground with a thud. I certainly wouldn't be going back there anytime soon.

"Hey Green, haven't seen you in a while." A soft voice said, a voice that I recognized.

I picked myself up off the ground. "Hey Red, didn't think you'd be this far on your journey already."

"I haven't even started yet. I'm here for a different reason." I looked up, straight into the eyes of my brother. "Oak's been hurt, bad."

At first I thought this was another one of his tales, but then I saw the hurt in his eyes.

"...how?" I murmured.

"We pulled up to the Pewter City Museum late at night after Gary and I had fallen asleep. He was attacked by Team Rocket inside the museum. He was nearly dead by the time that authorities found him." Red responded drearily.

"What were they after?" I asked.

"They think they were after his Charmander. The Charmander he was carrying on him was nowhere to be seen once the police had arrived, although we know that it was involved because the rocket member that was left behind was scarred by it's claws."

I hugged Red. "Thanks for letting me know. Do you know the quickest way back to Pewter?"

"Yeah, I came through Diglett's Cave. We can head back that way." Red said.

"Alright, let's go."

 _-= Rueben, First Leaf, 1015 =-_

I yawned and stretched, noticing a weight on my lap. I slowly picked it up, careful not to move too much to avoid waking Jorg just yet. I shifted him to the ground next to me. As I stood up I realized that my bag was nowhere to be seen.

I heard something rustling in the grass next to me. I could see my backpack strap sticking out of the grass. I crept to where my bag was, and slowly parted the grass. I could see something moving around inside of my bag. I darted forward and held the bag shut. Whatever was inside started to struggle. I stopped as I heard something speak.

"Let me out of the bag Rueben before I accidentally burn everything inside of it!" Jorg yelled. I unzipped the bag and dumped the orange lizard out on the grass.

"What were you doing in there?" I asked.

"Humans aren't the only ones who get hungry you know." Jorg amgstily replied. "If I knew you'd have shut me inside then I would have just woken you up."

"Wait a moment, if you're digging around in the bag then what was sleeping on my lap?" I asked, slowly turning around. Some small purple ball lay curled up on the ground. It starts to move. A twitch and then some whiskers appeared. A pop and two big ears unfolded on top of it's head. It flexed, revealing four stubby little legs and a tail. I recognized what it was, and started to reach around in my bag for my pokeballs.

The Rattata yawned. "Wait a moment, this isn't my den." It said, right before disappearing in a flash of red light. My aim was true, and the pokeball I had thrown moments earlier was now on the ground shaking. Then, it clicked. I bent down and opened the pokeball. The Rattata I captured moments before appeared in a flash of red light at my feet.

"Hey there, my name's Rueben, and I" got cut off as the Rattata lunged at me and sank it's teeth into my leg.

"Aaaooooowwww!" I yelled, kicking my leg to try and rid me of the demented rodent. "Jorg, do something!"

Jorg leaned back with an amused look in his eye.

"JORG!" I yelled again.

"Alright fine, Trainer, use Return!" Jorg said, that amused look glowing brighter.

"I'm not your pokemon to command! And I don't even know... oh." I clicked the pokeball once more, returning the Rattata inside.

I glared at Jorg, who merely smiled back. I'd deal with him later.

"Hey! Why did you attack me?!" I yelled at the pokeball in my hand.

"I'm not talking unless you let me out." The Rattata responded.

"Hey, I'm your trainer! You're supposed to listen to me, and you know, [I]not[/I] attack me!"

The Rattata remained quiet.

With a huff I clicked the release on the ball. "Alright, now will you listen to- Oaaawww! Stop that!" I yelled as the Rattata bit my leg again. Jorg burst out laughing. I returned it to it's ball again, and shot another glare at Jorg.

"I thought you said you would _talk_ if I let you out, not _bite_!" I shouted.

"No, I just said that I wouldn't talk while in here. Something that still holds true."

I scowled. This one was going to be a pain, I could tell. I released it from it's ball, and jumped back as it lunged at me. I stomped on it's tail for good measure.

"Now quit it." I said.

"I'll 'quit it' as soon as you release me back into the wild." The Rattata responded snarkily.

"Nope, not happening. You're my first catch. You're not going anywhere." I replied.

"Oh great. This is just great. Not only am I caught by a dumb human, but I'm caught by an inexperienced one too! I knew I shouldn't have had all those berries last night." The Rattata murmured to itself. Jorg meanwhile, was rolling on the ground laughing.

"You're really not helping Jorg!" I shouted. "Now, can you at least give me your name?" I asked the Rattata.

"You haven't earned it." She responded.

"Well, how can I earn it?" I asked, hopeful that I might actually be able to work something out with this bold little Rattata.

"First off, you can start by getting off of my tail." She said as she grit her teeth. As I moved the rodent sat down and started to massage it. "Alright, now tell me, why should I stick with you instead of running off?"

"Aside from the fact that Rueben has captured you and can just return you anytime if you try anything?" Jorg added snidely.

"Indulge me." The Rattata responded.

It was then that I knew what I was going to do on my journey. The events of last night affected me too much for me to do anything but this. "Well, I'm going to take down Team Rocket."

Jorg's jaw dropped. The Rattata merely raised an eyebrow.

"Team Rocket? Those silly looking men in the museum yesterday?"

"Yeah, those guys! They hurt my grandfather (easier to refer to him as such) badly, and they hurt other people all the time too! I want to stop that."

"What a waste of time, a group of humans dedicated to hurting humans. Don't waste my time." The rodent remarked.

"Did I mention that they hurt pokemon too?" I could see the Rattata visibly stiffen at that. "They abduct pokemon and use them for all sorts of evil things. Like battling them to the death, or selling them to the highest bidder, or even indoctrinating them and forcing them to catch more pokemon!"

In a blur of purple the Rattata turned around. It sat facing the sunrise on the horizon.

"I will accompany you on your journey." The rodent said gracefully.

"Sweet! Now, what's your name?"

"Elizabeth. My name is Elizabeth."


	7. Chapter VI

-= Rueben, First Leaf, 1015 =-

The riots in Saffron City have grown to an unprecedented scale. Dangerous pokemon are being used, and trainers are attempting to force their way into the factory. A Psychic Strike Force was dispatched to calm the rioters, but were unable to assist due to dark types scattered throughout the crowd preventing them from doing so. This has lead experts to suggest that these riots were organized, or at least are sanctioned by some organization. Meanwhile, the government has shut down all access to Saffron City. Blockades are preventing travel to and from the city. More on this as it develops.

 _\- Channel 7 "Pokenews" broadcast_

"Wait a moment, you're going to do what?!" Jorg asked in disbelief.

"I'm gonna take down Team Rocket. After all that they've done they need to be taken out." I responded, barely hiding my excitement at the prospect.

"And how are you going to do that? We don't even know where to start!" Jorg exclaimed.

"No, but I know someone who does. Remember that guy you almost killed? He works for Team Rocket. He'll know where the hideout is." I said.

"And you think he'll just tell us?" Jorg asked.

"He will once he sees you." I said with a smirk. Jorg looked down at his feet again. Elizabeth noticed and asked about it.

"Got something against killing people who've killed pokemon?" She asked.

"No, yes, kinda, it's complicated. I don't want to talk about it." Jorg murmured.

"But I do." Elizabeth pressed. "Now tell me, do you have a problem with killing killers?"

"I don't kill. Never have, never will. But that doesn't mean that _he_ won't." Jorg responded.

"Rueben?" Elizabeth asked. Jorg shook his head. "Then who is this _"he"_? Elizabeth asked.

"You haven't earned it." Jorg replied snarkily, then smirked a little. Elizabeth huffed and turned around.

"Well, let's just go visit our friendly neighborhood hoodlum." I suggested. Elizabeth was still angry at Jorg. I couldn't tell if she heard me or not. Jorg was looking down at his feet again, in deep thought. "No objections? Alright, let's go."

Pewter City. A fairly small town, smaller than Cerulean. Something just seemed off about the place though. Everyone we passed by on the street kept their head down. No one spoke. No children or pokemon played in the streets. Everyone was quiet. A fine layer of coal dust caked the entire town, a side-effect of living so close to a huge mine like Mt. Moon.

Elizabeth took her time through the city. She didn't show it, but I could tell she was excited to be here. Jorg couldn't handle the quiet.

"So Rueben, how did you learn to speak Pokemon?" Jorg asked.

"What are you talking about? I'm speaking English." I replied.

"No, you're not. Other humans speak English. You haven't said a single word in English since we met." Jorg stated.

"I have no idea what you're talking about Jorg. I only know English."

"But Rueben, you're speaking Pokemon right now."

"And you're speaking English right now. Pokemon aren't supposed to speak English."

"What are you talking about? I'm speaking Pokemon." Jorg replied.

"Will you two quit it?" Elizabeth interrupted. "Who cares who speaks what? Either way we can speak to each other, but others can't understand it. Do you know how much of an advantage that gives us?"

"We can talk about it later, we're coming up on the police station. I'm going to have to recall you Jorg, I changed my mind about him seeing you. I think it would keep him quiet more then anything." I said, ignoring the fact that if the police remembered that a Charmander was stolen recently that I'd be in big trouble.

"Yeah, good idea." Jorg quickly replied. He seemed relieved when I recalled him into his ball.

Elizabeth and I stepped into the police station. The place looked disused at best and abandoned at worst. A single guard was on duty, if sleeping on the job could count as on duty. We crept past him towards the cells. We passed into a seperate room with a few cells, empty except for one. W shut the door behind us. The Rocket Guy from earlier was sleeping on the bed. He took up so much space that he had an arm an leg hanging off of the bed, while his other side as leaning up against the wall. He had bandages wrapped around his cheek where Jorg slashed him. Even through the wrappings I could tell that they would scar.

"Hey, wake up. I've got questions for you." I said, trying to sound as tough as I could.

"I thought we agreed no questio-" The Rocket Guy moaned, before cutting himself short as soon as he saw me. He scrambled up out of bed and backed himself into the far corner. "Please don't hurt me anymore, I'll do whatever you want. Just don't bring out that demon lizard of yours!"

"Well, this is gonna be easy." Elizabeth commented. "Let's try to figure out where their base is first."

I nodded. "Where's your base at?" I asked.

"Mount Moon, it's in Mount Moon." The Rocket Guy quickly responded.

"What we're you doing in the museum?"

"We were supposed to be collecting a rare pokemon from Oak for The Rock. It was his payment this season."

"Who's The Rock?"

The Rocket Guy's eyes shot open. "Oh no, I can't tell you that. He'd kill me if I said anything!"

"I think we've gotten enough out of him, let's go." Elizabeth suggested. We walked out, leaving the Rocket Guy cowering in the corner. I felt kinda bad about scaring him so badly; I wasn't actually going to hurt him. We got what we needed though.

"So, this is Mount Moon huh?" Jorg asked, staring up at the huge landform ahead of us.

"Yup, I've never been this close to it. I could always see it from Cerulean, but I've never gotten anywhere near it." I responded.

"Well, let's get this over with." Elizabeth said, walking into the tunnel. Jorg and I followed. I looked up as we entered, and I wished I hadn't. Zubat lined the ceiling. Any noise and they'd be off, flying around everywhere. Which is why I had a minor heart attack when Elizabeth shouted as loud as she could at the cave.

"Hey, wake up everyone!"

"What are you doing Elizabeth?!" Jorg squealed.

"Keep it down down there, we're trying to sleep!" Something shouted back.

"Henry! I need your help!" Elizabeth shouted.

"It's too early Liz! We can't start the-"

"It's not that! I need help with something else."

"What's this something else?"

"Come down and I'll tell you!"

"Ugh, fine. Be there in a minute."

A dark blur and a few Zubats flew down next to us, circling our little group.

"Need these guys taken care off?" One of the Zubats asked.

"They look so tender, and fresh. I'd love a bite of them." Another commented.

"Leave them alone, they're with me!" Elizabeth yelled. The Zubats flew away, leaving just a lone Golbat circling us.

"So, what's the big deal Liz?" It asked.

"Listen Henry, there's a group of humans in this cave. I need to know where they are." Elizabeth said.

"Well, there's lots of humans in here, humans all over the place. More humans then there are Zubats. I need to know more." Henry responded.

"They're not the ones with the tools. They stay in the cave after dark."

"Oh, those humans! The ones in those silly outfits with the big red R on them, right?"

"Those are the ones. Where are they at?"

"Down the tunnel a bit and to the left, through a collapsed part of the cave."

"Thanks Henry, and I'll make certain to stop by tonight."

"Anytime my lady." Henry said with a wink, then flew off.

"Who was that?" I asked.

"An old friend of mine. Now let's go." Elizabeth responded, walking off without us once again.


	8. Chapter VII

-= Jorg, First Leaf, 1015 =-

I can't believe we're doing this. Honestly. We're trying to take down _Team Rocket_. This is something the Kanto Police Force has failed to do for decades, and he expects us to make a difference?! Why did I have to get picked by him? Why can't we just take the league challenge like normal people do?

We crept through the tunnel, Henry and Elizabeth leading us further and further down. How long does this tunnel go on for? The light was slowly petering out, like a candle slowly burning out. Eventually the only light we had was the flame on my tail, which lead to me leading the group. Each step we took the darkness seemed only to grow, until I couldn't see beyond my own fire-light.

 _~ Run away little child, go quickly. ~_

Oh no, not you.

 _~ Abandon the human, turn and leave them. ~_

I can't, that's my trainer. They need my help.

 _~ Rocket off little one, leave this dark place. ~_

No. I may be worried about Team Rocket, but Rueben seems to know what he's doing. I'm certainly that we'll be fine. We have to be.

 _~ Blind and deaf to reason, death will come soon. ~_

And with that, _he_ left. I shivered just thinking about _him_. Thankfully, the darkness was fading. Light bled through a small archway ahead of us. Something about the light didn't seem right though. It melted into the darkness to easily.

"Hold on a sec, we're coming up on 'em." Henry whispered, breaking the silence.

We crept up towards the arch, peeking around the corner. What I saw was not what I was expecting. It wasn't what any of us were expecting judging by the expressions on all of our faces. Even Henry seemed surprised. In front of us was a giant meteorite. It was so large that you could stretch a Gyrados across it and still have room left over. It leaked an eerie black light strong enough to light up the entire cavern. People, citizens of Pewter Town it seemed, were digging it out of the earth. Men in Team Rocket uniforms watched over each group of miners like a hawk looking for a juicy little mouse to crush in it's talons.

"That's one strange rock, no matter, let's keep going." Elizabeth said, trotting forward. Until a hand grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and yanked her back.

"What do you think you're doing?! Are you just gonna waltz in there and let them know we're here?" Rueben whispered forcefully, getting really close to Elizabeth's face.

"If you don't put me down in 5 seconds you're going to need a new hand _human_." Elizabeth threatened. Rueben quickly complied. Elizabeth shook her fur in disdain.

"Still, we need a plan. We can't just walk in there and expect everything to be work out fine." Rueben said, rubbing his hand.

Meanwhile, I spotted something.

"Hey guys, I think I've figured out who's leading these guys." I said, pointing across to the other side of the cavern. A lonely figure stood watching over the meteorite. He wore a uniform similar to the other rocket members, but his had a mask. It looked like something you'd dress up your pokemon with, except it was carved out of solid rock. The figure strode around, paying equal attention to the rockets under his guard as he did the meteorite.

"That must be 'The Rock'." Rueben said.

"Who?" I asked.

"The man who ordered Oak to be killed." Rueben whispered.

My fist curled up of it's own accord.

 _~ Burn the men, burn the rockets, burn The Rock ~_

I complied.

I jumped down, an uncontrollable fury in my heart. This man hurt the Professor. This man hurt the one who raised me from an egg. For that, he would pay. I heard Rueben shouting at me, but it was as tangible as the heat roiling in the air around me. My fire burned bright, and nothing else mattered except for getting to The Rock.

The rockets noticed me and sent out their pokemon. I swatted them away like they were nothing. I felt myself growing stronger with each pokemon I slashed. My fire burned brighter as I sucked away their heat and tossed them aside like the garbage they were. The rockets ran, but that wouldn't save them. Nothing would. I grabbed the heat around me, waves of pain incarnate, and focused them at the running rockets. They lit up like a flare.

That was when The Rock noticed me.

He nodded, and two boulders flew my way. I dashed to the side and let them hit the ground behind me. He pointed my way and two more sped towards me. I dodged them like the last set. Something wasn't right though, I felt a disturbance in the heat around me. I ducked and the two boulders flew over my head. Two pairs of eyes stared at me from within the rocks, before they rushed at me once more. Suddenly, a gust of wind caught the rocks, sending them flying backwards into the wall.

Henry flew in above me, nodding. Elizabeth ran up beside me, a new respect for me in her eyes. Rueben stood besides me, braving the heat. I looked up at him. He looked down at me, then put a hand on my shoulder. My fire all but went out at that. The heat around us dissipated, and I felt so weak. I wondered how I was still standing. It was then that I realized that I wasn't. I was in Rueben's arms as he carried me towards The Rock. Corpses lay charred and lifeless around us. Not just limited to the rockets, but the people of Pewter City too. The unlucky ones to be caught in the crossfire. I buried my head in Rueben's chest, tears in my eyes. Each of these were men with families, friends, and pokemon. I just slaughtered them all without a second thought. I tossed aside their lives like they were meaningless. As we neared The Rock he spoke.

"Well done there trainer, you just fought your way through my entire operation." It said. "We could use that talent in Team Rocket. You could be a boss like me easily."

"No, I won't stand for you and your so called 'team'. You are a pest, nothing more; I'm the exterminator." Rueben said, sounding so confident, so self-assured. I knew otherwise. His heart was beating like crazy. He was scared, but he didn't show it.

"So be it. This was your choice kid." The Rock responded, before throwing out a pokeball. A blinding red flash pierced the darkness of the meteor's light, before it was blocked off entirely. Slivers of it pierced through the massive wall of rock that stood in front of us. Then, it moved. Boulders larger then a Snorlax ground against each other, uncoiling, revealing the largest snake I had ever seen.

"Onyx, take care if them." The Rock said.

The Onyx roared, a sound so deafening that I'm certain that I'd be hard of hearing for a week. Then, it dove into the earth. The cavern shook around us. Boulders started to fall from the ceiling. He was trying to tomb us in!

"We need to get out of here!" Rueben shouted, his confident demeanor lost. His heart was beating so fast I thought it'd burst out of his chest. "Follow me!" Rueben shouted, running straight at The Rock. The Rock turned away and started to calmly walk towards a tunnel behind him. The Onyx shattered the cavern wall, blocking our path. The force sent boulder sized pieces of the wall flying our direction. Elizabeth standing directly underneath them.

"No, Elizabeth, RUN!" Rueben shouted. Elizabeth turned around and sprinted towards us, but it wasn't fast enough. The rocks crashed against the ground right behind her, rolling over each other like flies over a corpse.

"Liz! No!" Henry shouted. Elizabeth looked over her shoulder, fear in her eye. The rocks fell on top of her, she flew forward, just barely clearing the rockslide. It was almost like she was shoved.

That was when I noticed the wing crushed underneath a pile of rocks. Elizabeth turned around and ran towards it.

"Henry! Henry! Can you hear me?!" Elizabeth shouted, pushing up against the rocks that had buried her friend. "No Henry, you can't be dead. You can't! Why would you do that you stupid bat! Why would you save me..." Elizabeth whimpered. "No, please, don't do this to me. You can't leave me like this." She turned around, a feral look in her eyes. She lunged at us, teeth gnashing.

"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! If you hadn't dragged me along on this stupid quest of yours then Henry would still be alive!" Elizabeth shouted. "Why did you have to do it, huh? Why catch me?! Why not some other blasted Rattata?!" She slumped over, sobbing.

"How touching. No please, go on. Don't stop on my account." The Rock snickered, standing on top of his Onyx' head. "Now that the touching moment is all over, I believe it's time for me to depart." The Onyx turned around and started to crawl it's way out if the tunnel.

No, he can't escape, not when we're this close! He needs to pay, he needs to... urf... what is this? I'm, urgh, something's happening!

 _~ Gifts can change the tide of hopeless battles. ~_

Pain spiked throughout my body. My head felt like it was splitting apart, and my tail felt like it was being pulled on by an angry child. I felt as if I was being pulled in every direction at once, and they weren't letting go. My fire burned hotter, brighter, clearer. The pain melted away, new-found strength taking it's place.

I stood up. "Hey Rock!" I shouted, pointing my long white claw at it. Heat built up on my fingertip, ready to leap away at a moment's notice. "This isn't over!" I yelled, loosing the waves of pain through the air. The Rock turned around, right as it struck him in the mask. He screamed in pain, clutching the right eye hole. He glared at me out of his left eye. His look saying 'Agreed', right before he disappeared up the tunnel.

The cavern rumbled. Explosions ripped through the wall, sealing the tunnel The Rock escaped through. Rocks crashed down on the tunnel we entered through as well, leaving us in our soon to be rocky tomb.

"There has to be another way out. We just need to find it!" Rueben shouted, sprinting off. His optimism really was refreshing at times like this. Elizabeth simply sat, staring at Henry's wing. I walked up to her, now towering over her. I has to kneel down to get eye level with her.

"Elizabeth, come on. Let's go." I said softly. "Henry wouldn't have wanted his sacrifice to be in vain. She turned her head and glared at me.

"What do you know about Henry? Nothing. He was just another Golbat in the cave to you. But to me..." She turned back towards the pile of rubble. "He was more then that. He was an old friend of mine. I don't want to just leave him like this..."

"We can make him a grave when we get out of here. Have a proper funeral and everything, but first we need to get out of here, alive."

Elizabeth nodded.

"Hey guys, I found an exit! This way!" Rueben shouted. The cavern was collapsing with even more vigor then before. Rocks fell and smashed against the ground. Elizabeth and I sprinted towards Rueben, who was pointing at a tunnel directly past the meteorite.

"Watch out!" Rueben yelled as a boulder fell on top of the meteorite, shattering a corner of it. Unfortunately, the shattered corner was the one closest to us. It sent razor shards flying through the air, cutting my face and chest. I felt them pierce my chest and become lodged inside. I paid it no mind, it wouldn't matter whether or not I had rock inside me if I was covered in it.

We reached the tunnel Rueben pointed out. Supplies and the such lay scattered throughout the tunnel. It sloped upwards steeply, but I could see the light at the end of it, and that was all that mattered. It was a mad dash to the exit, rocks crumbling behind us. My heart beat in my chest, louder then the rocks crashing behind us. We were so close to the exit, but I could feel pebbles bouncing off of my shoulder. This was the most tense sprint to the finish in the history of the Kanto.

I flung myself out of the tunnel right as it came down behind us. Burying the meteorite shards even deeper into my chest. I got an arm beneath me, and pushed myself up. I looked around and saw Rueben and Elizabeth in the same situation. I looked down and saw black shards sticking out of my chest, each glowing with a deep black light.

That was when I lost consciousness.


	9. Chapter VIII

-= Rueben, First Leaf, 1015 =-

"Nope, nope, nope, nope, where did all of my potions go?!" I yelled frantically. Jorg was bleeding out right by my side, and I couldn't do anything to help him because I misplaced my potions. Argh! The darkness wasn't helping either. A sliver of a moon doesn't give me that much light to work with.

Elizabeth broke through the tall grass to our side, carrying a small cloth in her mouth. She set it down next to Jorg. It unraveled, revealing a small batch of berries.

"Well, at least he won't die hungry." I said, still frustrated that I couldn't find a potion anywhere. Elizabeth shook her head. She leaned over Jorg, grabbed one of the many glowing slivers of rock sticking out of his chest, and pulled. She tossed it to the side.

"Rueben, I need you to grab one of those oran berries and crush it over his cut." Elizabeth commanded.

"How are _berries_ going to help us?!" I yelled.

"How do you think us wild pokemon survived with trainers constantly attacking us?" Elizabeth responded, a deadly look in her eye. "Now either find one of your potions, or help me out."

I threw my bag to the side. The blasted thing wasn't of any use to me right now. I grabbed a blue berry and squished it in my hand. The juices slid down, and dripped onto the wound. Meanwhile, Elizabeth had pulled another few shards out. We fell into a pattern. Elizabeth would pull a shard, then I would drip some berry juice onto it. While I was focused on one cut I noticed that the one we had just worked on would start slowly closing up. By the time we had finished with the cuts the first one had closed up completely.

"Now all we can do is wait." Elizabeth said, sitting down next to a big, bushy oak tree.

"How did you learn about this sort of thing?" I asked, sitting down beside her.

"My Dad taught me. He always helped out other pokemon who managed to limp, crawl, or get carried to our den. He needed my help with a lot of them, and I learned quickly. That was how I met Henry actually." Elizabeth said, somberly. She leapt up into a tree branch above us, and then dove into the bushy canopy. I don't think I could have followed her up there even if I wanted to.

I examined my starter's new physique. He was taller and leaner, among other things. His claws had grown out; so had his tail. The fire on the end was a small, dull one, but I had no doubt that it would be even brighter then before once he recovered.

My thoughts turned back to what just happened. Jorg just burned down an entire mine, and all the people in it. Just like that night in the museum, his eyes turned that awful white.

I looked over to the Charmeleon at my side. He didn't seem like a bad pokemon, except for when his eyes turned white. What was up with that anyways? As far as I know that doesn't happen naturally to Charmeleons. I would ask Oak, but, you know, he's kinda in the hospital right now.

Jorg stirred. He was recovering quicker then I thought he would. Elizabeth poked her head out of the canopy above.

"You feeling alright Jorg?" I asked.

"No, not one bit." Jorg murmured. He sat up and winced in pain, gripping his stomach. "I just murdered everyone in that mine, I murdered normal everyday humans, just going about their normal everyday lives." Jorg put one foot under himself and tried to lift himself off the ground, but collapsed in a heap. I rushed over to see if he was hurt.

"Sure, I got a few rockets here and there, but it wasn't even close to the amount of normal people that I burned to ash." Jorg said, curling up. "How could I be 'feeling alright' after I did that?"

"Jorg, that wasn't you. I know it! I haven't been with you for that long, but I can tell that you would never do that." I responded firmly.

Jorg gave a half hearted smile back. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up, but it doesn't excuse what I've done. I still killed all of those people, and nothing is going to change that." Jorg responded. Something came whistling through the air. A small, dark brown object. It hit Jorg right in the side of his face, then fell to the ground. Jorg yelped in surprise.

"Jorg, come up here. You too Rueben." Elizabeth commanded, her tone allowing no room for argument. Jorg and I started climbing up the tree. Jorg's new claws allowed him to climb straight up the trunk, while I had to grip each branch and pull myself up. Jorg burst through the canopy, joining Elizabeth on top.

"Woah..." Jorg whispered in awe.

"What is it?" I asked, still scrambling my way up the tree.

"You need to see this for yourself." He said.

I shoved the canopy leaves to the side and poked my head out. What I saw took my breath away. In front of the three of us, down the mountain in Pewter City, a fire roared. Warehouse upon warehouse of coal was being set alight, Super Sonic moving vans sat in front of each of them, blazing. Scores of people surrounded the warehouses, carrying torches, kitchen knives, and other deadly utensils. Rapidashes and their riders ran across the area, setting fire to as many buildings as they could touch. The people were chanting, a sound so loud and so powerful that it could be heard all the way up here.

"Down with the rockets! Down with the rockets! Down with the Rockets!"

We clambered down and ran towards the city.

People were pressed so close together that you couldn't turn your head without hitting someone else's. Elizabeth looked ready to murder anyone who got too close, but thankfully that wasn't an issue. Jorg seemed to put us above the rest of the mob. People cleared a pathway straight to the last, largest warehouse as soon as they saw us. Rapidashes heading for the building skidded to a stop and bowed their heads as we passed, almost as if they revered us. The crowd closing behind us pushed us forward, towards the building. When we got to the front of the crowd a man stood beside us. He shouted and the crowd fell silent.

"For years this beloved city has been under the boot of Team Rocket. But not tonight! Tonight, these brave young souls attacked the rockets on their own turf, sending them running away tails between their legs! Tonight, we are free men! And tonight, we burn the very last Rocket building to ash!" He yelled. The crowd roared, then began chanting once again.

"Down with the rockets! Down with the rockets!"

The man turned to us, kneeled down, and put his hand on Jorg's shoulder.

"Go, bring that building down."

Jorg turned to the building, a million emotions running across his face at once. He raised his arms, extended his claws, and thrust them towards the building. Bright red flame shot out, and smacked against the building. The chanting grew louder.

"Down with the ROCK-ETS! Down with the ROCK-ETS!"

The flames crept across the wooden planks, growing brighter and brighter as they devoured the wood hungrily. They leapt from plank to plank, eager to breach the wooden shell and consume the coal within. The planks resisted, standing strong against the tremendous heat. Cracks started to form, breaks in the defensive line. Those cracks spread, weakening the resistance even further, until it gave in. The fire rushed inside, lighting the building up like a Jack-O'-Lantern. The building groaned, barely audible above the crackling and popping of the fire. The roof burst like a balloon, sparks streaking in the night like fireworks. It lit up the night like a miniature sun.

The crowd roared in approval, the chant grew even louder, to the point where to hold a conversation one had to yell to be heard. Elizabeth tugged on my pant leg and pointed to the right. I looked over to the man at my side and froze. Those eyes, that spiky hair, it could only be Gym Leader Brock. But that wasn't what worried me, no. What made me freeze in fear was Brock's right eye, and the burnt skin around it.


	10. Chapter IX

-= Rueben, First Leaf, 1015 =-

I backed up slowly. Why was he here? Why is a Team Rocket boss leading riots against his own organization? Why wasn't he attacking me? All of these questions swirled through my mind at once. None of it mattered. All I knew was that I needed to get out of here.

I frantically waved at Jorg and Elizabeth, motioning for them to follow me. They both got the message and started heading my way. I turned and started pushing through the crowd. Those who were once just part of the throng suddenly became very apparent to me, something that particularly caught me eye was a certain burly man with a claw-scar on his cheek. Other shady looking people were setting off so many alarm bells in my head that I had no doubt about who was behind these riots.

Jorg was still nowhere to be seen, but I saw flames flying elsewhere and hoped it was him. People who parted for Jorg and I on the way in suddenly looked ready to murder me for trying to get out. Thankfully, Elizabeth had caught up to me. She had to snap at quite a few people, and bite even more for them to finally get the message. A particularly rough looking group of people blocked our way. They all had pokeballs in hand. As they threw them van blew up to our side, sending them and all of the people nearby crashing to the ground. I nearly fell over, but caught myself before I could. Thank the gods that the van exploded. Elizabeth and I jumped over the rockets and sprinted to the edge of the crowd. Jorg ran to my side.

"We need to get away from here! Team Rocket might send people after us!" Jorg yelled.

"Where can we go?" Elizabeth shouted.

"Follow me!" I exclaimed, and with that I sprinted off into the forest.

We slowed down after a while when we discovered that no one was following us. We trudged on in silence, Jorg and Elizabeth both lost in thought. I was just focused on where we were trying to go. All of these trees looked the same, it was so hard to tell where we were going. Eventually, Elizabeth broke the silence.

"Rueben, I've seen that tree five times now. You're leading us in circles." She said. I looked up, the sun was starting to slink below the treeline.

"Let's make camp. We can figure out where we are in the morning." I said.

Night fell upon the forest. Beedril and Butterfree flitted from tree to tree, while the occasional Zubat would soar past nearly silently. We sat around a fire, courtesy of Jorg. He sat next to me. Elizabeth sat across the fire from us, looking into the darkness. Searching for something in the swaying of the trees in the light breeze, or the rustle of grass from a passing pokemon.

"Where are we heading Rueben?" Elizabeth asked.

"Diglett's Cave, and once we go through there we're going to head to Vermilion City." I responded.

"What's in Vermilion?" She asked.

"Well, it's the only place to go from here. Normally people head to Cerulean City next, but we kinda destroyed the path to get there."

"Oh."

We fell silent once more. Clouds passed, revealing a crescent moon in the sky above. Bright flecks of light speckled the night around it. Jorg fell asleep long ago, leaning on me. I didn't mind. I could see the exhaustion in Elizabeth. Heck, I was probably just as worn out as she was. I closed my eyes, just for a little while I told myself, a quick nap. I felt myself drifting off to sleep before I could put a stop to it. A twig snapping did the job for me.

What was that? I cracked my eye open. I heard it again. I looked up, only to see a furry purple head poking out of the tree across from me, staring off into the night sky, searching for answers in the stars. I smiled, and decided not to bug Elizabeth. Jorg shifted, snuggling into my coat. I closed my eyes once more, content enough to fall into a deep sleep.


	11. Chapter X

-= ?, First Leaf, 1015 =-

"I saw him! He was in the crowd! He lit the last building on fire all by himself! That horrid lizard and his trainer were there!" I yelled. A shadow sat across from me, leaning forward from it's high-backed chair with it's hands steepled on it's large oak desk. The blinds were drawn shut, leaving the room in nearly perfect dark. I doubted they were ever open in the first place.

"Reports from the Rock stated that this Charmander, now Charmeleon, took out our entire mining operation by itself. How did it know where to go? I doubt it would have wandered in there by pure chance. Especially considering it's... murderous tendencies... towards our staff." It asked.

I shifted uncomfortably, desperately wishing for a chair. Standing in front of this shadow of a man while he interrogated me left me feeling nervous.

"He... ummm... he had a guide. One of the bats from the cave lead it right to us." I responded.

"How did it know we were based in the cave?" It inquired.

I reached up and felt the claw-scar on my cheek. If I told him the truth there's a good chance I wouldn't live to see another day. But I don't think it would be convinced by any lie I made up.

"I don't know." I decided on.

The Shadow leaned backwards into it's chair, contemplating my information. Then, it stood up.

"Walk with me." It said. I had no choice but to follow.

The large double doors opened, and the Shadow lead me down a long, narrow hallway. He seemed to retain his darkness even out here. We came across a statue, of what pokemon I did not know. The Shadow reached over to it, and I heard a click. Out of the darkness a stairway appeared, leading down. The Shadow beckoned me to go first. I gulped, and took the first step. When I did I heard the door slam shut behind me. I jumped and spun around.

"Relax, I'm still here." I heard the Shadow say. As if his presence would calm me. In truth, it did calm me a little bit, only because there was another human down here with me. We continued forward. We came across a room filled with large glass tubes, various pokemon floating inside each of them. Clear pipes ran from the tubes into large, complicated machines.

"Welcome to our genetic laboratory, known only by the highest members of our organization. In here we breed pokemon for our elite, to ensure them an edge over any trainer. Much like the giant Onyx that the Rock uses." The Shadow said, as it picked up an egg no larger then it's head. "Can you believe that something that large, that powerful, came from something so small and fragile as this egg?"

I shook my head. The Shadow set the egg down and leaned over the table.

"That's the power of genetics. It's a slow process, yes, but if done correctly, and with a certain measure of patience, the rewards can be extraordinary."

"Why are you showing this to me?" I asked. The Shadow's fingers curled up around the table's edges.

"That night you failed at the museum you lost us one of our projects. The outcome of Project Elemental were three pokemon, a water one, a grass one, and a fire one. Each of these had something special though, something that we have no clue how we created. Those three pokemon exhibited certain key traits when a close friend was under life threatening distress. Their pupils would turn white, and they would gain immense power. Brainwave activity showed something abnormal. Our top scientists suggested a second entity residing within that only showed it's hand when the first was under extreme distress. The scientists named these entities. Torrent for the water type, Overgrow for the grass, and Blaze for the fire. These pokemon had the capacity to bond easily with a trainer, and would have made the perfect tools for our Rocket Elite."

The Shadow took a deep breath, and continued.

"To run this project we needed that mining operation to continue. Because of your failure at retrieving the Charmander, and it's eventual destruction of our mine, I'm reassigning you."

In the silence that followed you could hear a feather hit the ground. Oh no. What would I be reassigned to? Something dangerous, surely. I hoped the punishment wouldn't be too severe. I swallowed a lump in my throat.

"Wh-what wi-will I be doing?"

The Shadow turned it's back to me. When he turned back around he held a small brown box. The flaps were sealed shut with masking tape. Small holes dotted the lid of the box.

"Deliver this. Vermilion City, ASAP." It said.

I gulped, and took the package.


	12. Chapter XI

-= Green, First Leaf, 1015 =-

Saffron City, known as the City of Glass by many. The city glimmers and shines in the rising sun in early morning. Quite fitting for the beating heart of the Kanto region's vast industrial might to be the most beautiful of it's cities. Come, take a tour of the World-Renown Silph Co. Factory, responsible for producing over 90% of the World's Pokeballs, and the leading supplier of other pokemon equipment. Take a stroll through the largest Nuclear Power Plant in the world, which supplies power to the entirety of Saffron City, and the cities surrounding it. If you find the city too noisy, it's a quick train ride to the outlying towns to get a whole new experience! Lose yourself in the expansive Celadon Mall, or find a moment of enlightenment inside the Pokemon Tower, or even take a delightful cruise through the might Kantonian rivers via the one of our famous Vermilion Cruise Liners! Lose yourself in Kanto today!

 _\- Tourist Brochure "Sights and Heights: Kanto Edition"_

"Why didn't we just go through Saffron City?" I asked, ducking below a stalagtite.

"Hey, you wanted the quickest way back, didn't you?" Red responded.

"Pika-pi" Logan murmured drearily.

"Saffron's closed because of rioting. Rumor has it that the government is behind the riots." He responded. I shook my head at him.

"You really should stop with all these tall tales of yours." I said, nearly hitting my head on another stalagtite.

"No, it's true, I swear!" Red cried. That made me snigger, which was quickly wiped off my face as I tripped over a stalagmite. Red laughed, until he heard what I had to say next of course.

"Just like the time you 'truthfully' said Misty was retiring and we were going to get a new gym leader? Or the time you 'truthfully' saw Lugia fly over your house?" I responded, smirking as I picked myself up off of the ground. Red knew I had him cornered. I could see him squirming.

"But they were true! Misty just changed her mind! And you wouldn't believe me about Lugia even if you were there!"

I just smiled.

"Fine, we'll settle this like gentlemen... and women." Red said as he drew a pokeball. "I challenge you to a pokemon battle!" He roared.

"Oh hush Red, we're almost to the end of the cave." I said.

Red huffed then threw his pokeball. A dark blue turtle emerged in a flash of red light. White tufts sprouted from either side of it's head.

"Get her Felix!" He yelled.

The turtle took in a deep breath. It's head dashed forward, shooting small transparent orbs out towards me.

I laughed, and poked at the bubbles, popping some. "So you finally got your starter, eh? He looks cute!"

Red crossed his arms. "He's not cute, he's cool."

"Sure, sure, whatever you say." I said with a smirk. "Feeling up to it Logan?" I said to the yellow mouse at my feet. He shook his head. "Oh well, it'll have to wait for another time. Now come on, let's get out of here.

We emerged from the cave into the dazzling moonlight. I looked up into the night sky. Who knew a crescent moon could give off so much light?

"Those are some beautiful stars up there in the sky." I said.

"Pika!" Logan agreed.

Logan darted from tree to tree. He stopped next to every bush, every tree, every stump, and examined it. Viridian Forest was where his kind came from after all, I would be curious too.

"Hold on a second, I see something." Red said. "Over there, I see a fire of some kind." Red pointed off into the distance. I squinted towards where he was pointing, and barely saw it. A pinprick in the darkness, not unlike the stars above us.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go check it out!" Red said, waltzing off towards the fire. Until I grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and yanked him back that is.

"Oh no, we're not going to just walk into there. We don't know who those people are! It could be Team Rocket for all we know!" I scolded.

"Ugh, fine Mom, just let me go." He responded. I released his collar.

"We should keep on going, I don't want to get involved in anything." I said.

"How about we go check it out, but we just be careful about doing it? Like, sneak around the edges and stuff?" Red suggested.

"Red, come on, let's just ignore it."

"We'll be fine! We'll leave at the first sign of trouble. Alright?"

"I still don't like it."

Logan tugged at my leg.

"Pika, pika!"

"Oh fine, we'll go check it out. But at the first sign of something fishy, we're leaving. Got it?" I said. Sadly, no one heard the last part. They were too busy rushing towards the fire. I shook my head and jogged after them.


	13. Chapter XII

-= Green, First Leaf, 1015 =-

We slowly crept up on the camp ahead of us. This was the second time this week I was crawling through the undergrowth, pushing branches and tall grass aside as I crawled towards the camp. Red crawled by my side, while Felix and Logan were doing... whatever it was they were doing. I just hoped they would be quiet about it.

I poked my head through some shrubbery, the branches scraping on my cheeks. Leaves rustled in the tree above me. I ignored them in favor of what was in front of me. We were fairly close now, only about 10 feet between us and the fire. I squinted my eyes and spotted a few things around it. There was a grey blur resting up against one of the trees, almost on the other side of the fire from us. I saw a red pokemon of some sort leaning up against the blur.

I pushed forward, careful not to make too much noise. My bag pulled me back, probably got caught on one of the branches. I turned around to loosen it when I saw something that made me reconsider. On top of my bag stood a purple rodent, gnashing it's teeth in my face.

I started to breathe faster. The look in it's eye was not friendly. Just stay calm, I told myself. Breathe slowly. In, and out. In, and out. In, and out.

I moved to release my bag, but my hand darted backwards, narrowly missing the Rattata'a teeth as they snapped together where my hand use to be.

St-stay calm. In, out. In, out. Try something else.

I started to crawl forward to escape my bag and that dreaded purple thing on top of it. It growled at me, and then put a paw on my leg. It pushed, and I froze in place once again.

Oh no, please no. Th-there has to be something else I can do! In-out, in-out, in-out, in-out.

The Rattata placed another paw on me. It slowly started to walk towards my head, teeth bared.

Oh gods no. It wants to eat me doesn't it? It wants to tear it's giant, sharp teeth into my tender face. Please no. Inout-inout-inout-inout-inout-inout-inout-inout-inout-inout-inout-inout.

"Elizabeth! Stop!" A voice cried. The voice seemed so familiar, I would be able to remember if it wasn't for this purple monster on my chest. The Rattata looked up and started chattering at the voice.

"I know her, it's alright!" It said. Wait a moment...

I turned around, only to see Rueben standing in front of the fire, beckoning his Rattata to not rip my face off.

"Rueben? What are you doing out here?" I asked. He opened his mouth to reply, but I cut him off. "Say, how about we get me out of here before we start chatting? It's awfully uncomfortable here with all the branches poking me and Rattata crushing me." Rueben nodded. The Rattata -Elizabeth- hopped off of me and lay down next to the fire, not taking it's eyes off of me. Rueben reached towards me, and I grabbed his hand. He pulled, and soon enough I was standing up straight in front of his fire, free from those branches, and that rat. I reached over and hugged Rueben. I was about to ask him a question, but then I remembered something.

"Hey everyone! You can come out!" I yelled.

"Everyone?" Rueben asked. Bushes and tall grass shook, and then Red, Felix, and Logan emerged.

"Oh, hi Rueben!" Red waved at him.

Felix started chattering. After he was done Rueben looked towards us nervously, before letting out a small sigh of relief.

"So, what are you doing out here? And how do you own a Rattata? You're sixteenth birthday isn't for another few months." I asked.

"I left early. Mom gave me this." He handed me a trainer card. I took out my trainer card and compared the two, scrutinizing over every small little detail. It was identical to mine, except for the information on the owner of it, obviously. His birthday was a year off though.

"Huh, I wonder where she got that?" I asked. "So, you left early. Your starter seems really aggressive. Did you get it from Oak, or catch it wild?"

"Her. And actually, Elizabeth isn't my starter." Rueben said. The Rattata chattered a bit, to which Rueben chattered back. They went like that for a while before I interrupted.

"Uhmmm... What are you doing?" I asked.

"Oh, I'm, uhm... well, this is going to sound a bit weird, but I'm talking with my pokemon." He responded.

"People talk to their pokemon all the time. They tend to speak English while doing it though." I countered.

"I swear I was..." Rueben trailed off, thinking.

"Pika pik!" Logan said.

"Wait, you're right Logan. I forgot that I can talk to you too!" I said, mentally slapping myself for forgetting something like that. "I speak English though, right Red?"

"You are both crazy. Green's crazy is in English though." He said, crossing his arms.

"Okay, this is just weird." I stated. Logan yawned and went to lie down next to the fire.

"Not a bad idea Logan. How about we postpone this until the morning?" I suggested. Red and Rueben nodded in agreement. I lay down next to the bush I came from, while Rueben sat up against his tree again. That red pokemon I thought I saw earlier was nowhere to be seen. Oh well, just another thing to deal with in the morning. I yawned, and stretched out on the comfy grass beneath us, drifting off into sleep.


	14. Chapter XIII

-= Jorg, First Leaf, 1015 =-

"Felix!" I whisper, digging my claws into the tree I was hiding behind. The Squirtle stirred. "Felix, wake up, I need to talk with you!" He sat up and yawned, then looked around a bit. "Over here." I say. Felix notices me, pushes himself off the ground, and walks over.

"What do _you_ want?" He says disdainfully. "I was quite enjoying my rest. It better be important."

"You've traveled with that Pikachu for a while, right?" I ask.

"The one with the blue cheeks?" Felix questions.

I resist the urge to slap him for his stupidity. "What other Pikachu could I be talking about?"

"Oh! That's Logan. Remember him? Back from the lab? No? Of course. Why would you?"

"Wait, there was a Pikachu at the lab? When?" I ask.

"Logan was the third starter pokemon for a while. He got picked by that girl, Leefe, I think? And you were his replacement."

"Replacement?"

"Oh, Oak always has always had three choices of starter pokemon ready for new trainers. He just keeps pulling us out of his box. I think we were the last ones though, from what he told me. He told me lots of other things too, more then he told you obviously."

"Oh, I see." I say, ignoring the slight. "Do you know what's up with his cheeks though? Aren't Pikachu's cheeks supposed to be red?"

Felix shrugs. "How am I supposed to know? Can I go back to sleep now?"

"Sure, go ahead."

I lean up against a nearby tree while Felix tromps back over to the fire.

"You know, you could just ask me, right?" A voice says. I look around, peering into the darkness, trying to find the source of the voice.

There, off to the left, the leaves rustled a bit. I creep over towards it. Suddenly, I feel something on my back. The weight drives me into the ground, my snout landing in a patch of dirt. I flip myself over, only to notice a sharp glint right in front of my eyes, electricity surging through it, a yellow blur behind.

"Let me get one thing straight." The voice says. "If you have a question, or a problem with me, you bring it to me. Got it?" I swing my tail towards the blur, and am rewarded with a thump as the yellow blur falls off of me, taking that glinting tail with it. I stand up, and watch the Pikachu do the same.

"Let _me_ get one thing straight. I don't take too well to being pushed around." I respond. Logan glares daggers at me, sparks flying off of his blue cheeks. Then, he does the unexpected. He sticks his arm out at me, silently asking for a handshake. Wary of some sort of trap, I reach out and clasp his hand. In return, he pulls me toward him and throws me into a tree. The tree cracks as I smack against it.

"You aren't bad, but you aren't good. Let's agree to avoid each other for now. I think it'd be for the best." Logan says, then turns and walks off. I spit blood into the dirt, and glare after him. If I could use my glare as a weapon, that blasted Pikachu would be ash.

"That guy really beat you good." Another voice says. I recognize this one though.

"Can you please come down out of that tree Elizabeth? I've had enough of disembodied voices for the night." I plead. She doesn't respond. I let out a sigh. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day.


	15. Chapter XIV

-= Sauren, First Leaf, 1015 =-

"Why are we here?" I ask, wringing my vines nervously.

"Well Shredder, we're here to meet someone." Gary said, holding his head straight.

"My name's Sauren..." I mutter.

"What was that?" He asked, turning towards me, his head blocking the moonlight.

"Nothing!" I quickly reply.

"Din't sound like nothing to me..." Gary muttered, facing away from me once more.

We kept on walking, my feet plodding against the cold hard ground. The dirt underneath us was so worn that not only did it turn rock-solid, but it turned gray as well! The whole place was brimming with heat, I could just feel it as I absorbed it, but it came from the strangest of places. Like on top of a large grey tree. None of the trees had any leave d though, they just grew straight up. I couldn't see any fruit or flowers either. I wonder who planted it here?

Light shone through a few windows of the small houses in this part of town, but other then that the city was quiet. That was nothing compared to where we were heading. Straight ahead of us lay the biggest lightshow I had ever seen. Floating shells of all sizes stretched from one end of the harbor to the other. They ranged from the size of my trainer to the size of a full grown Pidgeot. But all of those were nothing compared to the endless amount of giant shells. They each stood so tall that a Gyrados would be dwarfed by them if they swam side by side, and the smallest of them stretched further across then the entirety of Pallet Town.

Even during the long, quiet hours of night they kept coming in. Giant metal arms the size of buildings loaded and unloaded boxes from the shells. Men scurried to and fro to try and keep up with the fast pace of the entire operation. Anyone caught loafing around would be sent packing by another group soon enough. Did these people ever sleep, or did they just work all day long? Strangely enough, there were no pokemon in sight. No Machamps helping to load boxes, no messenger Pidgeys carrying information back and forth, not even a Rattata scurrying along the dockside looking for food. It's as if they were feeling what I was feeling. This was not a good place for pokemon.

"What pokemon are those?" I ask Gary, using my vines to point towards the floating shells in the water.

"Are you stupid or something? Those aren't pokemon, they're ships." He responded. I was going to ask another question, but I bit it back. Just like I was holding back the tears coming to my eyes. Why did I have to get such a mean trainer?

I bumped into something, something cold, something hard. I backed up and rubbed my head a little, looking up at some strange red thing sticking out of the ground. Is this what happened to all the bushes and trees in here? How did the humans turn them into something so hard? I scurried around it. Why did humans have to build useless things everywhere? Why can't I just go back to the lab? Where there aren't any mean trainers or cold ground or hard things sticking out of it.

Gary ducked into a crack between two buildings. None of the light seemed to reach into there, not even the moonlight. I shivered just looking at it. Why would I want to go into such a scary place? Then, a thought struck me. It struck me like a train, and I could feel the echoes of it resound through me. I could leave. I could just turn around and walk off. I wouldn't have to deal with Gary anymore!

I turned my back towards the alley and looked out upon the vast fleet of "ships" out on the water. I could hide on one of those, and Gary would never find me! I could make my way back to Pallet Town and live with Oak again! No more of this cold gray dirt, or hard red bushes sticking out of the ground.

I lifted my foot off of the ground. Once I took the first step, there would be no turning back until I was back in Pallet Town. I will find my way back, I promise. I braced myself. My foot stretched towards the ground, the cold, hard, gray ground. Then, I felt something pull me back. At first, I thought it was just me hesitating. Then I saw a red glow surround me. My vision went dark as I felt myself being pulled apart and pushed back together. My stomach rolled and cramped and if it didn't feel like my entire body had gone missing I'm certain that I would have thrown up. Soon enough, my vision returned. Everything seemed so much bigger now. Something dark blocked my vision. We walked into the light, only to reveal two blue eyes staring me down from inside my pokeball.

"And just where do you think you're goin'?" Gary asked.

"N-nowhere..." I mumbled.

"That's right, you aren't goin' anywhere. Got it?"

I nodded solemnly.

"Good, now I think that you can spend the rest of the night inside your ball. I din't need you out anyways."

I curled up, hiding my face from him. More importantly, hiding the tears just below the surface. Suddenly everything went pitch black. I could barely make out the cloth around me. A voice pierced the night, and we stopped. The voice was muffled, but it was clearly not Gary's.

"What a beautiful night we're having." It said, which was followed by a mechanical click.

"Indeed, the stars are so bright it looks like you could reach out and touch 'em." That one sounded closer to my trainers, but it didn't sound like him either.

"Welcome home." That click sounded again, followed by rough footsteps. We started moving again. Something slammed shut behind us. Another voice tore into the night's silence. This one sounded feminine.

"Report to the Serpent straight away, they'll want to debrief you immediately. You can set your belongings down on that table over there."

A hand reached towards me, grabbing my pokeball and pulling me out of the cloth prison. It set me down on a metal sheet. Gary walked off with two other people I didn't recognize, leaving me alone in this dark room.

I sat there for the longest time. There was nothing I could do. The only thing to look at was the darkness outside of my ball, and the table I was sitting on.

 _~ Please, listen; Darkness comes swift. Speak long I cannot. ~_

Huh? Who are you?

 _~ Search inside, search the dark. Look towards my words, find me there... ~_

Wait, don't go! What do you mean? Whoever she was, she was gone, and I was left with a cryptic message. I curled up and closed my eyes. Inky darkness greeted me. Shadows whirled and twirled in the edge of my vision. I thought I saw something, a flash of green, but it vanished before I could see what it was. I tried to concentrate, I wanted to hear what the voice had to say! A mechanical click interrupted me.

"What a beautiful night we're having." The same voice from before said.

"The stars are dancing in gracious unity." A different voice said. Gears started to grind, opening a door to the outside world. Someone walked in, and the voice spoke again.

"Welcome home." Followed by another click.

A man walked up to the newcomer and saluted. "Welcome to the Vermilion base sir. You have orders from the boss I presume?"

"Why else would I use the code word?" He responded. "I have something for the Serpent, from the boss himself. Bring me to him."

"Are you sure you don't want to stop by the doctor first? You have a wound on your cheek."

"It's an old one, I'll be fine."

"The Serpent is busy at the moment, I can take you to them after their done with their current business."

"Can I at least set my box down somewhere until then?"

"Yes, follow me."

Footsteps echoed throughout the room. Something heavy slammed into my table. A scrapping noise pierced my ears as it was scooted closer and closer. It got so close to me I had to plug my ears with my vines to bear it! The scraping noise stopped, and I heard a loud clunk. I started to roll! I hit the top of the ball, then was flung to the bottom, then back to the top, then I hit the sides. A crack appeared, and then I felt myself being pulled through it. Once more I felt that strange sensation of being pulled and pushed at the sane time, and then it stopped.

I opened my eyes and saw a dark grey floor. I lifted up my head and looked around, barely able to see two men walk off into the darkness.

It was then that I realized, I was outside my pokeball.

I looked back at it, next to one of the table legs. It was in pieces. I wouldn't be going back in there anytime soon. I looked up on to the table, and I'm glad I did. Right above me sat a brown box a bit larger then myself. Well, half of it sat. The other half was dangling over the table, slowly tipping towards me. I scrambled out of the way as the box plummeted to the ground. It hit the ground with a soft thud, ripping through one of the sides. A small yellow ball rolled out and bounced a few times before coming to a standstill. Then, the ball started shifting. Six separate parts unfurled rapidly, revealing two arms, two legs, a tail, and a head. The head turned towards me, it's eyes searching for something.

"Hi there! My name's Sauren. Who are you?"

"Where am I?" It asked, ignoring my question.

"Uhmmm... I don't exactly know. However, I do know that there's an exit around here somewhere if you want to get out." I responded.

"Lead me to it." It said.

"Okey! Just give me some time to find it first."

I turned around and scurried off in a random direction. I don't know if I picked the right one or not, but I did come up to a slightly brighter grey wall. That small change in shading made all the difference, because I was kinda able to see where I was going. I crept alongside the wall until I saw something. I backed up and stared at it. In front of me sat a shiny and pointed piece of metal. On the front of it sat a small circular hole. It had these weird curved indents to either side of the hole. It radiated heat, so much that if I tried to get any closer I would burn. I backed off. I didn't want to get anywhere near that thing, whatever it was.

After scurrying alongside the wall some more I found the exit. It had a big metal sheet covering it so we couldn't get out. I looked around a little bit, then called out to the other guy.

"This doesn't look like it leads outside." It said.

"Yeah it does! The doorway is just blocked off. We need to open it. I think there was something over here somewhere to do that." I said as I walked over to the side. The other guy stood there staring at the door, contemplating something. I looked up and saw a big red button. I stretched out my vines and reached up. It was out of reach! I leaned up on the wall and tried again. Just barely out of grasp! I jumped a little, trying to swat the button, but I never once hit it. I got close so many times, but alas, the button remained unpressed.

"Hey, could you come over here and give me a boost? I found the-" My request was interrupted by a horrid screeching noise. It sounded like someone was scrapping two pieces of metal together! I looked over, and discovered that the other guy was doing just that. Except instead of two pieces of metal it was a piece of metal and his claws, and instead of scrapping he was cutting. I watched him as he cut straight through the door, leaving a hole just big enough for us to squeeze through. When he was finished the noise was still there. I looked around in confusion, only to see flashing red lights everywhere.

"Hey, stop!" A man yelled, rushing towards us, Gary running alongside him.

"I'm gonna cut that little weed!" Gary seethed, clenching his teeth.

"This way." The strange creature who came from the box said, ducking through the hole. I started crawling through when the man threw a few pokeballs. Two Zubat and a Rattata appeared in a flash of red light. I sucked in my chest and used my vines to push my bulb down. I popped out on the other side panting

"They're after us!" I yelled.

"Not anymore." He said, pointing one of his claws at the door. Rocks rose from the ground and covered the hole. More flung upwards and jammed themselves in the inner workings of the door. It wouldn't be opening anytime soon.

"Wow, that was cool!" I yipped, the other pokemon smiled a little. "Say, I never did get your name. What is it?" I asked.

"Krimson, now come on. Let's move before they either open that door or exit through another one."

I nodded, and we sprinted off towards the shipyard.


	16. Chapter XV

Saffron City is in chaos. The riot forces have been routed from the city, tails tucked between their legs. The rioters have dispersed from the Silph Co Factory and spread throughout the city. Mass panic and widespread hysteria have lead to looting and vandalism. We recommend that any and all persons refrain from leaving their housing. It's a dangerous place out there. Stay put and wait for things to calm down. Stay tuned as we'll be keeping you updated on the situation.

 _\- Channel 7 "Pokenews"_

-= Rueben, First Leaf, 1015 =-

"Rueben" My partner whispered.

"Jorg" I whispered back.

"I need you to do something for me." We both said.

"...hahaha, perfect timing!"

"Hehe, yeah." I chuckled. "So, what do you need me to do?" I asked.

"Is there enough room in your bag for me to fit inside?" Jorg asked.

"Maybe, let me check." I said, sighing with relief. Coincidentally, I was gonna ask him to hide in there today. Why? Well, if Green saw him she'd ask about him, and I had no clue how Jorg would react once he found out. I really was going to have to talk to him one of these days about that. I thought as I ruffled through my bag.

"Not quite, but if I take some stuff out I can fit you in here." I said. "The only problem is, how are we going to carry this extra stuff?" I asked, turning around towards Jorg.

"What about making Elizabeth carry it?" He suggested. Just then, Jorg slammed into the ground.

"How about no?" Elizabeth said, pushing Jorg's face into the dirt.

"Ugph, fiphe!" Jorg mumbled through a mouthful of dirt. After another push, just for good measure, Elizabeth stepped off, my hand slowly drawing closer to her pokeball on my belt. She spun towards me.

"Don't even think about it." She said. My hand darted away like the pokeball was on fire.

"Well, I can't carry it and my bag at the same time. I wonder how heavy the stuff even..." I said as I turned around. "...is?" I gazed at a dark patch of dirt, the very same spot where my bag used to be. "Ummm... did either of you do that?" I asked my pokemon. They shook their heads. "Hey! Green, Red, did either of you take my bag?" I yelled over to them.

"Nope!" Green yelled back. "Did you lose it or something? Want me to come help?" She asked.

"No no! It's fine! Elizabeth is already on it!" I yelled, turning towards Elizabeth.

"Not my bag, not my problem." She said.

"I'll deal with it, since Mrs Princess here is too vain to get down and dirty with finding something such as a lowly bag." Jorg announced, receiving a glare from Elizabeth.

"Do you want another mouthful of dirt?" Elizabeth asked coldly.

"I'll get right on finding that bag!" Jorg yipped, diving towards where the bag used to be. He closely examined the area, getting down to eye level with the dirt. He searched through the grass around the area, looked closely at the rocks in the dirt, he even stuck a finger in the dirt and tasted it! "I have come to a conclusion!" He announced triumphantly, darting upwards.

"And what is your deduction Detective Jorg?" I asked.

"I have determined that the culprit is a pokemon!"

"That's so useful. There's only about ten-thousand pokemon in Viridian Forest. That really narrows it down." Elizabeth commented dryly.

"Ah ah ah ah! I'm not finished yet. The culprit is a pokemon with tan fur, and a large footprint compared to it's weight. It's also a regular thief!"

"You're making that up. I doubt anyone could find that out by eyeballing the grass and licking the ground." Elizabeth queried.

"You see, this tan fur here caught on this blade of grass is from our thief, no? And how about these small coins here on the ground? So dirty they almost seem like rocks! Clearly a way to disguise their treasure, they must have slipped out or something. And look at how large this footprint is compared to how deep it sinks! It's quite obvious when you look closely." Jorg rambled.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Elizabeth said, shaking her head. "Haven't you noticed that my fur is tan in some places? Those coins of yours, they're just rocks. And that footprint is one you made when you were putzing around over the area. If the thief, assuming it was stolen, left footprints they would be long gone because of all your stomping around over there." Elizabeth pointed out.

"Oh..." Jorg said, downtrodden. "Oh." He said as he perked up. "Ooohhh!" He said loudly.

"What is it?" I asked.

"The thief is right behind you!" Jorg said casually. I turned around. Right there, in front of the tree I slept on, in the very spot I was sitting earlier, was nothing. Absolutely nothing. I was about to point this out when a mad cackle pierced the area.

"Oh, shiny shiny shiny coins of yours; such valuable treasure shall open doors. With money like this, I could buy an island! I could spend all day dozing in the sand!"

"What, where are you?" I yelled, looking around. "Give me back my pack!"

"Give? You're just asking for a shiv. Right between the eyes, take it back, and you shall all dies!" The voice cackled. "I have laid a curse upon this gold. All who touch it shall endure endless cold! They shall bring upon a night ten-thousand years long! Should you wish that, come and- AYEAHYEHYEHYEH!"

Something hit the ground with a thump and a cloud of dust. I coughed, waving it away. When the dust settled, Elizabeth stood on top of my pack. Something was squirming underneath it.

"Release me you blasted rodent! Take this time and prepare to repent!"

Elizabeth craned her neck down. "Nah, don't think so."

"I'll turn you all into a shroom! Prepare for your inevitable doom!" It yelled. I grabbed a pokeball from my bag and chucked it underneath it. A flash of red light and a click later, I had it back in my hand. Inside the transparent sphere sat a tan feline with piece of gold stuck to it's head. I could feel it's amusement through the ball.

"The day has come, I knew not when it would arrive. Until I discovered a trainer who spoke with such drive. A journey it is then, let us be off on our merry way! Assuming we can, let us be off by the end of this day!"

Very slowly and carefully, I shoved the pokeball in my bag.

"Wait, don't leave me in here! Oh woe, I shan't see the light of day for a year!" The meowth complained. Just as I was about to zip my bag shut, I came up with a plan. I pulled the ball back out and released the pokemon inside. The pokemon fell to it's knees in front of me.

"Thank you kind sir! I-"

"Relax, you don't need to grovel." I said, a little put off by the whole act. "What's your name?"

"Katherine my dear! I-"

"Cut the rhyming too. It's getting annoying."

"Rhyming you say? I've spoken like this since the very first day."

"Whatever, we'll deal with that later. Anyways, I have a job for you. You see that pile of stuff over there? We're going on a trip and I need you to carry that."

Katherine groaned. "A slave, is that all that I am to you? Someone just to do whatever you tell them to do?"

"No, but for now, we need someone to carry it. Unless of course, you'd prefer to go back into your pokéball..."

I blinked, and in that time Elizabeth had gathered everything up and stuffed it into a sack over her shoulder.

"Let us be off! Before we catch a cold and spread it through cough!"

Jorg faceclawed. "This is gonna get real annoying, real quick."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Hey everyone! Sorry for the inconsistent uploads school's started again and I've been swamped with homework and the such. Uploads will, sadly, remain inconsistent for a while. I will do at the very minimum once a month, but I'm going to try and do two. See you next chapter!


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